.png)
What is TIPS?
A national purchasing cooperative that lets public agencies buy from pre-vetted, competitively awarded vendors.
We are an Authorized Seller under AIR Control Concepts' TIPS Trades, Labor & Materials contracts. That means schools, municipalities, and public facilities can hire our team for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and controls work without running a separate bid.
Run by a public agency
TIPS is the purchasing cooperative of Region 8 Education Service Center, which serves as the Lead Public Agency.
Free to join
Membership costs nothing and carries no purchasing obligation. Members get immediate access to every awarded contract.
Valid nationwide
TIPS has the authority to establish contracts for government and education agencies across the country.
How a TIPS purchase actually works
1
Confirm your agency is a TIPS member. Membership is free and takes minutes if you're not already enrolled.
2
Contact your local representative with your project scope and timeline.
3
Your rep prepares a quote, submits the quote to TIPS for compliance review.
4
You then receive your quote along with TIPS's verification that it's compliant.
5
Issue your purchase order — we schedule the work, and TIPS maintains the audit-ready documentation.
K–12 Education
School districts, charter and private schools, special education districts.
Colleges & Universities
Public and private higher-education campuses and facilities.
Government
Cities, counties, state and federal agencies, emergency service districts, park and water districts, tribal nations, transit authorities.
Non-Profit
Churches, hospitals, nursing homes, member associations, charitable organizations.
Local Delivery, National Support
Work directly with our local team
Backed by the AIR Control Concepts network
TIPS is available to confirm pricing at any step
Full-Scope Trades
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing
Building controls and automation
Service, repair, and equipment replacement
Faster, Compliant Buying
Competitive bid already completed by TIPS
Skip low-bid, low-quality awards
Submit your scope and get a quote on contract
Common Questions
No. TIPS satisfies the competitive procurement requirement in most states, since the bid process was already completed at the cooperative level. Check with your agency's purchasing policy to confirm local rules.
No minimum. The contract covers everything from small service calls to full retrofit and controls projects.
26010401 (JOC) covers construction-related job order work. 26010402 (Non-JOC) covers trades, labor, and materials outside a formal job order structure. Your rep can confirm which applies to your project.
Every awarded vendor and contract number is publicly searchable at tips-usa.com. Search AIR Control Concepts to confirm both contract numbers directly.